Pneumatic sheet-feeder



C. E. CHRISTOPHEL.

PNEUMATIC SHEET FEEDER.

APPLICATJON FILED ocT.3.191a.

1,333,833. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I..

WITNESSES INVENTOR C. E. CHRISTOPHEL.

PNEUMATIC SHEET FEEDER.

APPLICATION FlLED OCT-3,19I8.

f o Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2- WITNESSES C. E. CHRISTOFHEL.

PNEUMATIC SHEET FEEDER.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 3. 1918.

1,333,833. Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

4 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Ti q. ,5.

, WITNESSES "WE/W0]? C. E. GHRISTOPHEL.

PNEUMATIC SHEET FEEDER. APPLICATION FILED OCL, I918.

Patented Mar. 16, 19%,

4 SHEETS-SHEET amlk 22; C W

INVENTOR W/T/VESSES UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CARL E. CHRISTOPHER 0F PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 DEXTER FOLDER CGMPANY, GF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

PNEUMATIC SHEET-FEEDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 16, 1920.

Application filed October 3, 1918. Serial No. 256,766.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. OmusrorHnL, a subject of the German" Emperor, residing at Pearl River, county of Rocks land, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Sheet-Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

, This invention relates to that class of sheet-feeding machines in which the sheets in a pile are moved one by one by asuction device which moves into engagement with the top sheet of a pile to secure said sheet and then moves away from said pile with the sheet secured thereto by suction. In machines of this character, it has been-found necessary to provide suitable means for positively disengaging from the suction device any sheets in excess of the particular one that is intended to be moved at that instant. For this purpose, it has been found expedient to employ a friction wheel which is moved across the suction device immediately after the sucker is lifted from the pile, as for example, as shown and de scribed in my copending application, Serial Number 202,338, which was filed November 16th, 1917. The present application has for its object to provide an improved construction and arran ement which will obviate injury to the rub er or other soft parts which otherwise would be brought into engagement when no sheets were interposed therebetween. Particular objects of invention will appear in the specification and be pointed out in the claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which my inventionis adapted to a machine of the type disclosed in my above-identified application.

In the drawings 2-- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the same, showing the parts in difi'erent positions; r

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic side elevation similar to Fig. 2, showing the parts in their relative positions when the excess sheet-rcmoving friction wheel is prevented from I of the same, parts being broken away and parts shown in section;

F 1g. 8 is a section on the line 88, Fig. 6,

' parts being broken away and parts shown in elevation.

'On the drawings is shown an adaptation of my invention to a sheet-separating device. Journaled within a bracket or support (see Fig. 5) is a cam shaft 10, while above andto'the right of said cam shaft, according toFig. 6, is journaled a second shaft 11 which carries a sprocket wheel 12 about which passes an endless chain 13 by means of which power is delivered to said sprocket wheel 12 from a larger sprocket wheel 14 which is keyed to the cam shaft. 10. The bracket or support 9 is provided with a depending arm'15 provided at its lower end with a laterally projecting pin 16 upon which is journaled a lever arm 17 which carries a suction pipe 18 which, as shown in Fig. 1, extends rearwardly and is provided with a downwardly deflected extremity 19 which carries a sheet lifting sucker 20 adapted to operate upon a pile of sheets 21. Pivot-ally connected to the lever arm 17 is a cam lever 26 which carries a cam roller 27 which runs on a cam 28 keyed to the cam shaft 10. The otherend of said cam lever 26 is bifurcated to straddle the cam shaft 10 for maintaining the cam roller 27 in suitable relation to the cam 28. A second depending rm 29 on'the bracket or support 9 has secured thereto one end of a spring 30, the other end of said spring being connected to the lever arm 17 which carries the suction pipe. The tension of this spring retains the roller 27 in running contact with cam 28. The shaft 11 has keyed thereto the hub 31 of a sprocket 32. Freely journaled on the shaft 11 is the hub 33 of a cam arm 34 having a lower extremity 35 within which is journaled a shaft 36. Keyed to the shaft 36 is a sheet-engaging roll 37 which is rotated by means of a sprocket 38 which is also keyed to said shaft. 39 connects the sprockets 32 and 38 to transmit power from one sprocket to the other.

A sprocket chain The cam arm 34 is provided with a lateral projection 40 on which is journaled a cam roller 41, said cam roller being adapted to follow a cam 42 which is of a somewhatsimilar shape to the cam 28 and is likewise keyed to. the cam shaft 10. A third cam 13 is keyed to the cam shaft 10 and is adapted to operate a cam roller 44 which is journaled on a pin 15 carried by the lower end of a cam lever 46 which is journaled on a pin 47 carried by an upper rearwardly projecting portion of the bracket or support 9. A pin 48 serves to pivotally support an arm 49 of a clamping foot 50, said clamping foot being provided with an elongated slot 51 within which is disposed a laterally projecting pin 52 carried by the lower end of the arm 29 of the bracket or support 9.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to at inclusive, suitable and. efficient means for holding the friction wheel 37 in an inoperative position when no sheet has been lifted by the sucker, may be provided as follows. A latch or lever 55 is pivotally connected to the cam arm 34 to swing about the axis of the stud which carries the cam roller 41. Said latch or lever is provided with a lug or projection 56 which normally interlocks with a pin 57 which is preferably rigid with the lower hub of the stiffening bar 58 which extends between the shafts 10 and *7. Another fixed pin 59 arranged above the pin 57, prevents an undue upward displacement of the latch or lever 55. Said latch or lever 55 has a depending portion 55 which (see Fig. 5) is provided with a laterally extending extremity 55 which is adapted to be engaged by a sheet lifted by the sucker. It will be seen therefore, that whenever a sheet is lifted by the sucker, that the latch 55 is lifted thereby. This action takes place before the cam arm 34 is permitted to swing forwardly, so that only a slight pressure is required to lift said latch. The. cam arm 34 is thereupon left free to swing forward under the control of cam 42, the friction wheel 37 operating to remove all excess sheets which may have been lifted by the sucker. A spring 60 wound around the. shaft 11, has one end connected to a tension adjusting nut 61 and the other end connected to the hub (32 of the cam lever 34. A yieldable pressure is thereby imparted to press the cam roller 41 against the cam 42. In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 6. T and 8, the suction tube is provided with a branch cylinder 63 which has a perforated cap (34. Reciprocable in the cylinder (32, under the action of a spring 5 is a piston 66 having a rod ()7 projecting through said cap. Whenever the sucker 20 is closed by a sheet. the resulting vacuum retires the piston rod 67 into a position in which it will not intercept the depending extremity 68 of a latch or ley'er 69 when the sucker is elevated. The latch or lever 69 reciprocates between the guide pins 70 and is connected to the cam arm 34. It will be seen from this description, that whenever the sucker is sealed by a sheet, the excess sheet-removing operation is carried on uninterruptedly. On the other hand, whenever said sucker is not sealed by a sheet, the rod 67 is permitted to project in the path of the depending portion 68 of the latch or lever 69 so that a forward movement of cam arm 34 is.rendered.impossible.

In this embodiment a platen 71 is offset on the suction tube to support the sheets under the operation of the friction roll 37. This device prevents the roll 37 hearing on the rubber cup.

I claim:

1. In a sheet feeding machine, sheet lifting means movable into and out of engagement with a pile of sheets, excess sheet-removing means cooperating with said sheet lifting means in raised position, a latch for preventing the operation of said excess sheet removing means, and sheet-operated means for actuating said latch for permitting said excess sheet removing means to operate. Y

2. In a sheet-feeding machine, sheet-separatin mechanism including a suction device mova le into and out of engagement with a pile of sheets, excess sheet-removing means cooperating with said suction device, and sheet-operated means for controlling the operation of said excess sheet-removing means, said excess sheet-removing means being rendered operative by a sheet carried by said suction device.

3. In a sheet-feeding machine, a suction device movable down on to the top of a pile of sheets and away from said pile, said suction device being adapted to lift a sheet or a portion thereof, means movable across said suction device for removing excess sheets, and means for preventing the movement of said excess sheet-removing device across said suction device, said preventing means being rendered ino1')erative by the action of said suction device upon a sheet.

4. In a sheet feeding machine, sheet-separating mechanism including a sheet holding sucker. means for moving said sucker into and out of sheet gripping position with respect to a pile of sheets. an oscillatory arm carrying means for removing excess sheets from said sucker, a latch pivotally mounted on said oscillatory arm and adapted to lock said arm against movement, and sheet controlled means for operating said latch.

5. In a sheet feeding machine, sheet separating mechanism comprising a sheet gripping sucker. means for moving said sucker into and out of sheet-gripping position with respect to a pile of sheets, means for removing excess sheets from said sucker, and means for holding said excess sheet removing means away from said sucker, said holding means being operated by a sheet lifted by said sucker for releasing said excess sheet removing means.

6. In a sheet-feeding machine. a sheetengaging suction device movable about an axis into engagement with the top of a pile of sheets and away from said pile, a rotary sheet-engaging wheel movable about an axis toward and away from said suction device in raised position, and means under the control of a sheet, raised by said suction device for controlling the movement of said wheel.

7. In a machine of the character described, a bracket or support, a sheet-engaging suction device pivotally mounted in said bracket or support, an excess sheet-engaging roll, an arm within which said roll is journaled, said arm being swmgmgly mounted in said bracket or support, means for rotatingsaid roll, means for moving said suction device on its pivotal axis into and out of engagement with said pile, and means controlled by a sheet moved by-said suction device for controlling the movement of the arm which carries the excess sheet-engaging roll. i 8. In a machine of the character described, a bracket or support, a cam shaft journaled therein, a sheet-engaging suction device slidably journaled in said bracket or support. an arm oscillatable about an axis, a sheet-engaging roll journaled in said arm. said roll being adapted to engage the under surfaces of sheets raised from the pile by saidsuction device, and means under the control of said sheetfor controlling the movement of said arm.

9. In a machine of the character described, a bracket or support, a sheet-engaging suction device oscillatably journaled in said bracket or support, an arm oscillatable about an axis, a sheet-en aging roll journaled in said arm, said rdll being adapted to engage the undersurfaces of sheets raised from the pile by said suction device and means normally holding said oscillatory arm against movement, said means being controlled by a sheet moved by said suction device.

10. In a machine of the character described, a bracket or support, a sheet-engaging suction device oscillatably journaled in said bracket or support, an arm oscillatable about an axis. a sheet-engaging roll journaled in said arm. said roll being adapted to engage the undersurfaces of sheets raised from the pile by said suction device, and a locking lever connected to said oscillatory arm, said lever normally resting in locking position and adapted to be moved into release position by the movement of the sheet by said suction device.

11. In a machine of the character described, a bracket or support, a sheet-engaging suction device oscillatably journaled in said bracket or support, an arm oscillatable about an axis, a sheet-engaging roll journaled in said arm, said roll being adapted to engage the undersurfa'ces of. sheets raised from the pile by said suction device, and a latching lever pivotally connected to said oscillatory arm and normally locking with a lug or projection, said lever being provided with a depending foot adapting it to be disengaged from said lock or projection by means of a sheet moved by said suction device.

12. In a machine of the character described, a bracket or support, a' sheet-engaging sucker swingingly mounted in said bracket or support, means for oscillating said sucker, an oseillatable arm journaled in said bracket 01' support and provided with an instrumentality movable into and out of engagement with the undersurfaces of sheets lifted by said sucker, and a latch interengaging between said oscillatory arm and a fixed lug or projection, said latch having an extension adapting it to be displaced by a sheet moved by said sucker to permit an oscillatory movementof said arm.

13. In a machine of the character described, a suction device movable toward and away from a pile of sheets, means movable into and out of engagement with the undersurfaces of sheets lifted by said suction device, and sheet-actuated means for controlling the movements ofthe first-mentioned means.

14. In a machine of the character described, a support or bracket, a sucker oscillatably mounted on said support or bracket, an arm oscillatably journaled in said support or bracket, a sheet-engaging friction wheel journaledin the outer end of said oscillatable arm, the oscillatory movement of said arm being adapted to bring said friction wheel into engagement with sheets lifted by said suction device, and a latch pivot-ally connected to said oscillatable arm and normally resting in engagement with a lug or projection on said bracket, said latch being provided with a depending portion suitably disposed to be lifted by a sheet lifted by said suction device.

' CARL E. CHRISTOPHEL. 

